Sugar Blaze

My goal last week was to wear something I’d recently acquired and not yet worn each day. Often, clothes go into a closet and never see their way out, neither by way of wear, nor by way of adoption. To prevent this from happening in my closet, I’ve developed a policy that new items must be worn asap. Experimenting was fun, and it was refreshing not to be in the same old sweaters I’ve been wearing for years.

Last week, I was seen wearing:

Outfit 1: This is, by far, my favorite outfit of the lot. I’ve never been one for brown, but all the bright colors really liven up this shirt and give me room to play around with shoes and accessories.

Total cost was a jaw-dropping $7.50 (brown shirt: clothing swap, $0; dark jeans: Salvation Army: $2.50; pink boots: Rainbow clearance, $5).

Outfit 2: This looks good, yes, but whether it’s my taste or not, I’m still on the fence about. I’ve never worn marigold before, so it was a bit of an experiment for me. The outfit was wonderfully comfortable, but a bit dull, color-wise. Next time, I think I’ll pair the marigold shirt with more vibrant colors.

Total cost of this outfit was $21 (marigold shirt: clothing swap, $0; denim jacket: clothing swap, $0; gray slacks: Wet Seal, $20; pewter boots: garage sale, $1).

Outfit 3: No, the pose here is not cute. I was having quite an off-day, photo-wise. But as far as the outfit is concerned, I’m quite pleased with it. I’ll probably be more adventurous and try the top with a different color on bottom next time, with black as a fallback plan.

Total cost was $29.50 (print shirt: Salvation Army, $7.00; shiny black pants: Salvation Army, $2.50; black pumps: Trends, $20).

Outfit 4: This outfit tortures me so. On one hand, it looks adorable, the mix of red and pink, and I couldn’t help but smile at wearing pink corduroy pants to the office. The problem is that the sweater is much too short. I have a very short torso, and a waist-length top does nothing for me. Usually, I can make a short top work by adding a longer cami underneath, but this time, I obviously chose the wrong color tank top: it was the same shade of pink as the pants, causing it to blend in with them. I think I’ll give it another go with a red cami, but if that doesn’t work out, the sweater is up for adoption.

Total cost was $31 (red sweater: clothing swap, $0; pink cami: Rave, $6; pink corduroy pants: Parisian clearance, $5; pink boots: Shoe Land, $20).

Outfit 5: Yet another look the jury is still out on. The colors are fun, and the geometric design on the sweater worked oh-so-well with pointed-toe heels. I just kept wondering if it was a sitcom-Mom type of sweater. Looking at it here, I’d say no, but it felt that way on me. I think I need to try it with a skirt and see how that works.

Total cost was $28 (black sweater: clothing swap, $0; purple top: 5-7-9 clearance, $3; black pants: Mariposa, $20; red heels: Rainbow clearance, $5).

Have any of you started photographing your daily outfits and taking notes? Does it affect the way you get dressed?